Soulistic Agency, a company owned by the family of Grammy award-winning music producer DJ Black Coffee, has been dragged to the Johannesburg High Court by two entities over its failure to pay a debt of more than half a million rands.
In the court papers, which Sunday World has seen, Sunlyn Limited and Sasfin Bank said the agency, represented by Black Coffee’s son Esona Tyolo and CopyStar, entered
into a “master agreement of hire” on or about August 16, 2022.
Tyolo is the second respondent, while Soulistic Agency is the first respondent in the lawsuit, which is likely to embarrass the internationally renowned DJ and South Africa’s richest disc jockey.
In terms of the agreement, CopyStar rented a 20kVA 3-phase diesel generator to Soulistic Agency for a minimum period of 60 months at a total monthly rental amount of R7 351.
Sunlyn and Sasfin Bank said the agency agreed to pay monthly rental amounts from September 25, 2022, and thereafter on the 25th of each month for the remainder of the rental agreement.
“The first defendant agreed that the agreement applied only to hiring of goods, which the first defendant accepted ‘as is, and that the rental does not include any payment in
respect of licensing, service, or maintenance’,” read the papers.
The Soulistic Agency agreed that any dispute in respect of the goods, licensing, maintenance, or any other agreement it might have would not entitle the company to cease complying with its obligations in terms of the agreement and will not be entitled to withhold any rental payments.
The entities said on or about August 16, 2022, Tyolo signed a guarantee in terms of which he bound himself as co-principal debtor with the agency, jointly and severally, for the primary continuing obligations and punctual payment in terms of the agreement or its cessionary.
When Tyolo and the agency entered into the rental agreement deal, CopyStar had
already signed an agreement to cede its rental contracts to Sunlyn and Sasfin Bank.
The agency, said Sasfin Bank and Sunlyn, breached the rental contract on or about
January 25, 2024, when it failed to pay its monthly rental.
“In light of the defendants’ breach, the second plaintiff elects to claim immediate payment of all amounts that would have been payable until the expiry of the rental period stated in the schedule, which amounts to R504 074.01,” read the papers.
Despite demand, said Sunlyn and Sasfin, Tyolo and Soulistic Agency failed or refused to
remit payment.
“Wherefore the second plaintiff, alternatively the first plaintiff, claims from the first and second defendants, jointly and severally, the one paying the other to be absolved, for termination of the agreement, payment of the sum of R504 074.01,” read the papers.
