Vodacom and Makate Reach Settlement in Two-Decade “Please Call Me” Legal Battle
Vodacom and Kenneth Makate finally reach an out-of-court settlement, ending a 20-year legal battle over the Please Call Me invention.
image: IOL
by Kelebogile Matlou
On November 4, 2025, Vodacom and former employee Kenneth Nkosana Makate negotiated an out-of-court settlement, bringing an end to nearly two decades of legal issues over the design and ownership of the extensively used Please Call Me function. The agreement concludes a legal struggle that began in 2001 and became one of South Africa’s most significant intellectual property lawsuits.
The controversy was around Makate’s Please Call Me concept, which Vodacom launched without agreeing compensation conditions. What began as a straightforward payment agreement quickly escalated into a lengthy legal struggle. Makate said that Vodacom had agreed to reimburse him for his invention, which the firm repeatedly rejected.
In 2014, the Gauteng High Court determined that, while a contract existed, Vodacom was not bound by it. Makate filed an appeal, which resulted in several years of judicial processes.
A turning point moment arrived in 2016 when South Africa’s Constitutional Court declared that Makate was allowed to negotiate adequate compensation. The court ordered that if negotiations failed, Vodacom’s CEO, Shameel Joosub, would decide the final amount.
When Joosub offered Makate R47 million in compensation, he declined, claiming that the value of his contribution was far higher. The case developed, and in February 2024, the Supreme Court of Appeal declared that Makate was entitled to 5% to 7.5% of money produced by the Please Call Me service over an 18-year period a sum potentially worth billions of rands.
Vodacom first intended to appeal the ruling, but eventually withdrew. On November 5, 2025, the corporation announced that its board had accepted a settlement agreement, effectively ending the long-running dispute.
Although the financial amounts are confidential, Vodacom acknowledged that the settlement was completed and reflected in its interim financial results for the six months ending September 30, 2025. The corporation expressed relief at reaching a conclusion, noting that both sides were delighted to put an end to the situation.
