Johannesburg – The long-running legal battle between Vodacom and Nkosana Makate, the inventor of the “Please Call Me” service, will be heard in the Constitutional Court on 21 November 2024.
In a notice, the apex court said the “matter has been set down for hearing on Thursday, 21 November 2024, at 10:00.”
Vodacom is seeking to appeal a previous ruling that ordered the company to pay Makate “fair compensation” for his idea, which was developed in 2001 while employed at the company.
Despite the service generating significant revenue, Makate has been fighting for over two decades for “fair compensation”.
First, Makate had to prove he was the inventor of the Please Call Me service and had a right to a fair share of the profits.
In 2016, the Constitutional Court confirmed Makate as the inventor of the innovative Please Call Me service and was entitled to compensation.
Vodacom’s CEO, Shameel Joosub, initially offered R47 million, which Makate turned down as “inadequate”.
In 2022, the Gauteng High Court ruled against Vodacom’s settlement proposal, ordering a review.
However, Vodacom took the matter on appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeal.
Earlier this year, on 6 February 2024, the Supreme Court dismissed Vodacom’s appeal with costs.
The Supreme Court further ordered Vodacom to pay Makate between 5% and 10% of the total revenue that the service generated over the past 18 years.
Some reports estimate that Makate was due a windfall amounting to billions of rand.
Dissatisfied, Vodacom sought relief from the Constitutional Court, which has now set a date to hear the long-running matter next month.
*This article first appeared in our sister publication techfinancials.co.za
