MBABANE:Nkosana Makate,the brain behind the “Please Call Me” idea might become a billionaire after the Supreme Court of Appeal ruled in his favour and ordered Vodacom to pay him between 5 to 7.5% compensation in revenue for his idea.
IOL news reported on Tuesday evening,the court ordered that,the compensation must be calculated and backdated to eighteen(18) years since Vodacom started using the idea.
According to court documents,Vodacom has to determine a reasonable compensation amount due to Makate within 30 days.
The protracted battle between Vodacom and Makate began in November 2000 when Makate, a former Vodacom employee, came up with the ‘Please Call Me’ feature.
Makate came up with the idea more than 20 years ago when he had a long-distance relationship with his now wife,who was a student then.As communication was difficult at the time, he came up with the invention.
Nkosana Makate( picture:Leon Nicholas).