The inventor of Vodacom’s ‘Please Call Me,’ Nkosana Makate, is back in court this week, the 4 – 6 May, for a judicial review on his case against the network provider.
Nkosana Makate refused Vodacom’s R47 million offer for coming up with the concept of the ‘Please Call Me’ service.
We are ready 4-6 May. We will leave no stone unturned. Judicial Review. pic.twitter.com/AXZU0GWUxP
— Nkosana Makate (@makate_nkosana) April 17, 2021
He is now seeking intervention at the High Court to review the offer, which Vodacom calls sufficient.
According to Vodacom, the ‘Please Call Me’ concept does not generate the business any profits as it is a free service.
Makate demands that Vodacom reveal financial records showing ‘Please Call Me’ revenue.
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The former Vodacom employee presented the concept to Vodacom in 2000 but wasn’t given the recognition. Alan-Knott Craig, Vodacom’s chief executive at the time, claimed the idea was his brainchild.
Makate laid a charge against Vodacom in 2001 after the concept was launched, and he wasn’t compensated, and he won the case.
It has been a 20-year long battle between Vodacom and Nkosana Makate, during which the court found that dealings in this regard invoked apartheid legislation to prevent Makate from having the same privileges in court.



