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Vodacom Settles With ‘Please Call Me’ Inventor, Ending 20-Year Dispute

The undisclosed settlement is reflected as a one-off cost in Vodacom’s interim results.

Overview

  • Vodacom said its board approved the out-of-court agreement on 4 November, bringing the case with Nkosana Makate to a close.
  • As part of the settlement process, Vodacom withdrew its Supreme Court of Appeal case and asked the High Court to abandon its 8 February 2022 judgment.
  • The company did not reveal the payout, noting only that the cost has been booked in results for the six months to 30 September 2025.
  • Media analyses infer a possible payment of roughly R353 million to R748 million from revised EPS guidance, which Vodacom has not confirmed.
  • The deal ends a rehearing path created when the Constitutional Court sent the matter back to the SCA, concluding years of litigation over the ‘Please Call Me’ service.