Nkosana Makate Ordered to Pay Vodacom R13 Million in Legal Costs

Nkosana Makate faces a setback as the court orders him to pay Vodacom’s legal costs in the long-running “Please Call Me” case.
image: City Press

by Kelebogile Matlou

The long-running battle between “Please Call Me” inventor Nkosana Makate and Vodacom has taken another turn when the Constitutional Court ordered Makate to pay the telecommunications company’s legal expenses, which are believed to be over R13 million. 

According to MyBroadband, the decision comes after Vodacom’s successful appeal to the Constitutional Court, which rejected a Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) verdict that required the business to reimburse Makate with a portion of the revenue from the popular service. The case has now been returned to the SCA for additional review.

The Constitutional Court ruled that Vodacom was entitled to the costs of three attorneys due to the breadth of the record, the complexity of the issues, and the substantial sum of money at stake, a rare and significant legal award. 

Makate, who developed the “Please Call Me” concept while working at Vodacom in 2000, has spent years looking for what he considers fair remuneration. Vodacom had earlier offered him R47 million, which he declined, saying that he was entitled to a part of the service’s earnings produced over nearly two decades.
Despite this setback, Makate remains committed to pursue his legal case. “I am resilient. We will go back to the SCA,”  he said earlier this year.

The decision adds another chapter to one of South Africa’s most high-profile corporate legal conflicts, which continues to highlight concerns about intellectual property rights and equitable compensation for employee ideas.