‘Please Call Me’ inventor Makate ordered to pay Vodacom R13 million in legal costs

The long-running legal battle between “Please Call Me” inventor Nkosana Makate and Vodacom has taken another dramatic turn, with the Constitutional Court ordering Makate to pay the telecommunications giant’s legal costs reportedly amounting to around R13 million.

According to MyBroadband, the order follows Vodacom’s successful appeal to the Constitutional Court, which set aside a previous Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) ruling that had directed the company to pay Makate a share of the revenue generated from the popular service. The case has since been remitted to the SCA for fresh consideration.The Constitutional Court ruled that, given the “size of the record, the complexity and novelty of the issues, and the very large amount at stake,” Vodacom was entitled to the costs of three counsel a rare and significant award.

Makate, who first conceived the “Please Call Me” idea in 2000 while working at Vodacom, has been fighting for years to receive what he considers fair compensation. Vodacom had previously offered him R47 million, which he rejected, arguing that he deserved a percentage of the revenue generated over nearly two decades.Despite the setback, Makate has vowed to continue the fight. “I am resilient,” he said earlier this year. “We will go back to the SCA.”

The ruling marks another chapter in one of South Africa’s most closely watched corporate legal battles, a case that continues to test the boundaries of intellectual property rights and fair compensation for employee innovations.