Vodacom resolved its 24-year dispute with Nkosana Makate regarding the Please Call Me service through an out-of-court agreement finalized on November 4, 2025. The telecommunications firm confirmed the settlement ended prolonged litigation that began when Makate introduced the feature in 2001, withdrawing its pending appeal against a prior court ruling.
South Africa's Constitutional Court had determined in 2016 that Makate deserved reasonable payment for his concept. Subsequent negotiations stalled after Makate rejected Vodacom's R47 million offer. An appellate court later ruled he could receive 5% to 7.5% of the service's 18-year revenue. Vodacom's board approved the confidential settlement before scheduled hearings, incorporating the financial impact into its latest corporate earnings report. Both parties expressed relief over achieving a final resolution to the extended legal matter. The agreement concludes one of South Africa's longest-running intellectual property cases involving telecommunications innovation.
South Africa's Constitutional Court had determined in 2016 that Makate deserved reasonable payment for his concept. Subsequent negotiations stalled after Makate rejected Vodacom's R47 million offer. An appellate court later ruled he could receive 5% to 7.5% of the service's 18-year revenue. Vodacom's board approved the confidential settlement before scheduled hearings, incorporating the financial impact into its latest corporate earnings report. Both parties expressed relief over achieving a final resolution to the extended legal matter. The agreement concludes one of South Africa's longest-running intellectual property cases involving telecommunications innovation.
