Mobile telecommunication giant Vodacom and “Please Call Me” inventor Nkosana Makate have settled the long-standing matter out of court.
The multinational made the announcement in a Stock Exchange News Service statement issued on Wednesday, November 5. However, the statement didn’t mention the settlement amount. The information is expected to be revealed in Vodacom’s annual report next year.
“Shareholders are referred to the announcements released on SENS on 31 July 2025, 7 February 2024, 28 February 2024 and 27 August 2024 in respect of the Please Call Me (“PCM”) matter. Shareholders are hereby advised that on 4 November 2025, the Vodacom Board approved a settlement agreement, and the matter was settled by the parties out of court.
Settlement amount not revealed
“The parties are glad that finality has been reached in this regard. The settlement has been accounted for in the Group’s interim results for the six-month period ended 30 September 2025. Subsequent to the publication of a trading statement on SENS on 31 October 2025 related to those interim results.
“As part of the settlement process, a notice was sent to the Supreme Court of Appeal withdrawing Vodacom’s appeal. Additionally, a notice was sent to the high court to abandon the 8 February 2022 judgment,” read Vodacom’s statement.
The settlement comes after the Constitutional Court in July referred Makate’s case against Vodacom back to the Supreme Court of Appeal.
The judgment, delivered by then outgoing ConCourt Justice Mbuyiseni Madlanga, could have resulted in Makate being awarded R47-million or over R10-billion for the “Please Call Me” invention.
Long drawn-out case
The Constitutional Court delivered the July judgment in favour of Vodacom during a special court sitting in Braamfontein, Johannesburg.
Madlanga said the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) decision in February 2024 to set aside Vodacom’s offer to Makate is invalid.
Madlanga said the matter between Vodacom and Makate must be remitted back to the SCA and heard again.
On November 21, 2024, Vodacom brought an application to the Constitutional Court to appeal a February 2024 SCA judgment that set aside a R47-million offer that Vodacom made to Makate six years ago in 2019.
Makate opposed Vodacom’s ConCourt application. He cited that he deserved to be compensated R9.4-billion by Vodacom.
The November 2024 appeal application at the Constitutional Court was heard by Chief Justice Mandisa Maya, Madlanga, and Justices Nonkosi Mhlantla, Leona Theron, Steven Majiedt, Zukisa Tshiqi, Rammaka Mathopo, Owen Rogers, and Acting Justice Rishinand Seegobin.
Vodacom SCA appeal dismissed
In February 2024, the SCA dismissed an appeal by Vodacom and ordered the company to pay Makate an amount ranging between 5% and 7.5% of the total revenue made through the “Please Call Me” service for more than 18 years.
Calculation estimations showed that Vodacom should pay Makate an amount ranging from R9-billion to R63-billion as fair compensation for his idea. But Makate intended to settle for R9.4-billion.
Previously, in 2022, the Pretoria High Court ruled that Vodacom must pay Makate more than R47-million it offered him in the long-running saga.
Vodacom, through its CEO Shameel Joosub, offered Makate R47-million for his “Please Call Me” idea. Makate rejected it.
Makate was represented by his lawyer Stuart Scott. Vodacom was represented by its lawyer, Advocate Wim Trengrove SC, during the November 2024 appeal application.
In November 2024, Vodacom argued that Makate cannot be entitled to up to R63-billion. Its offer to him of R47-million, now R80-million after adding interest, is fair and equitable, it said.
End of almost 30 years’ battle
Makate gave his “Please Call Me” idea to Vodacom on November 21, 2000.
The battle between Makate and his former employer began in 2008 when he was a trainee at the company.
During his time with the company, he came up with the “Please Call Me” concept. Vodacom bought into the idea, and rolled it out in March 2001. It proved to be a success, allegedly generating billions of rands for Vodacom.
The “Please Call Me” service allows network users to send free messages asking for a call back.
Makate (48) was 24 years old when he came up with the idea in 2000.
He was motivated by the need to communicate with his girlfriend at the time, now his wife. And he had bought her a cellphone.
Makate and his wife got married in 2004 and have three daughters.
