Vodacom Reaches Settlement Deal With Please-Call-Me Founder Nkosana Makate

• Vodacom has announced that its battle with the Please-Call-Me founder, Nkosana Makate, for compensation for his invention
• The company announced to its shareholders that a settlement agreement has been reached, and the matter will not continue
• This came after a battle between the telecoms company and Makate, which lasted for years in South Africa's courts

Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News journalist with 10 years of experience, offered valuable insights into South Africa’s business environment during his three years at Vutivi Business News.

JOHANNESBURG — Vodacom has announced that it has reached an out-of-court settlement with Please-Call-Me founder Nkosana Makate. This was after the telecoms giant and Makate battled for compensation for his invention.

According to BusinessTech, the company announced to its shareholders on 5 November 2025 that it had reached an agreement with Makata about his compensation. The company also said that the matter will no longer be heard in court. The company reportedly said the terms of the agreement will be accounted for in Vodacom's interim results for the past six months up to September.

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Vodacom has also said that notes were sent to the Supreme Court of Appeal and the High Court. The High Court was informed to abandon the 8 February 2022 judgment. Vodacom is also withdrawing its appeal before the Supreme Court of Appeal.

Briefly News reached out to Vodacom for comment, but it did not respond at the time of publishing.

A look at Nkosana Makate's battle with Vodacom

Makate has been in a legal battle with the giant telecommunications company for over a decade. Vodacom has, on several occasions, made different offers for compensation, and Makate turned down each one. The Supreme Court of Appeals valued the compensation to be about R40 billion in total, and Vodacom appealed the decision.

What you need to know about the Vodacom saga

• In 2023, Vodacom stuck by its decision to award Makate R45 million for his invention and argued at the Supreme Court of Appeals that the CEO had a right to determine the amount
• In September of the same year, the Pretoria High Court rejected Vodacom's application to amend a 2020 ruling with costs
• The Supreme Court of Appeals ordered Vodacom to make a fresh determination of how much Makate is owed after Makate rejected its R47 million offer
• Makate also allegedly expressed willingness to settle out of court in 2024 after Vodacom approached him with an offer
• The court case continued at the Constitutional Court when it ruled in favour of Vodacom, which appealed the Supreme Court of Appeal's ruling in favour of Makate

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Sizwe Dhlomo reacts to Vodacom case

In a related article, Briefly News reported that radio personality Sizwe Dhlomo weighed in on the Vodacom case. He reacted after the Constitutional Court sided with Vodacom in a ruling.

The court ruled on 31 July 2025 in favour of Vodacom after the Supreme Court of Appeal's ruling to uphold Makate's demand for R40 million. Makate rejected the offer that the Constitutional Court ruled in favour of, and the case was reverted to the Supreme Court of Appeals.

Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News