Please Call Me Inventor Nkosana Makate to Keep His Job After Landmark Vodacom Settlement
Nkosana Kenneth Makate, the man behind Vodacom’s “Please Call Me” service, has confirmed he plans to continue his role as a financial controller at the South African Local Government Association despite receiving a multimillion-rand settlement.
End to an 18-Year Legal Battle
Vodacom and Makate announced on Wednesday they had settled their long-running dispute over compensation for his idea, just ahead of a court rehearing scheduled for 18 November. While the exact amount remains confidential, Vodacom’s updated trading statement indicated the payment would significantly impact its half-year earnings.
Based on the disclosed impact on Vodacom’s expected earnings, MyBroadband calculations estimate the settlement falls between R353 million and R748 million.
No Plans for Early Retirement
Speaking to the Sunday Times, Makate revealed he has no intention of taking an extended vacation or leaving his position. “I’m locked in until I decide otherwise,” he stated.
He earlier expressed that relief from the stress of litigation was priceless, emphasizing the value of “having a normal life.” Makate also countered speculation that Vodacom might disclose the settlement amount during its results presentation, confirming both parties are bound by non-disclosure agreements.
The Origin of Please Call Me
The settlement concludes nearly eighteen years of legal battles stemming from an idea Makate pitched to his Vodacom boss in November 2000. While working as a trainee accountant, he proposed a method to alert another phone without airtime, which he called the “buzzing option” in a memo to his manager, Lazarus Muchenje.
His concept ultimately developed into the Please Call Me service, launched on Vodacom’s network in 2001, though MTN had introduced a similar product months earlier.
A Promise of Compensation
Although not involved in the product’s development, internal Vodacom emails presented in court showed former product development head Philip Geissler had promised to discuss a “suitable reward” with then-CEO Alan Knott-Craig if the service proved successful.
In a February 2001 email, Geissler wrote: “Once the product is launched (and assuming it’s successful) I will speak to Alan. You have my word.” However, he also cautioned that staff were generally expected to contribute ideas as part of their normal duties.
Constitutional Court Intervention
After initial losses in lower courts, Makate’s case reached the Constitutional Court, which ruled in his favor in 2016. The court ordered both parties to negotiate “reasonable compensation” and designated current Vodacom CEO Shameel Joosub as a deadlock-breaker.
When negotiations stalled, Joosub calculated an offer of R47 million using four compensation models, which Makate rejected as “shocking and an insult.” The legal battle continued through multiple courts, with the Supreme Court of Appeal eventually ruling that Vodacom must pay Makate 5%-7.5% of Please Call Me’s total revenue.
The Constitutional Court later delivered a scathing judgment against the SCA for “a total failure of justice,” ordering a rehearing with new judges. This rehearing became unnecessary when the parties reached their confidential settlement.
Source: MyBroadband