Vodacom Yet To Pay ‘Please Call Me’ Inventor Billions Of Shillings Despite Suit

Vodacom, 35 per cent owner of Safaricom is yet to settle a law suit against them by the ‘Please call me’ inventor, Kenneth Makate, nine years later.

Reports by Business Daily indicate Mr Makate came up with the idea about 16 years ago while working at the South African firm as a junior accountant.

He initially asked for a 15% share in revenue if the concept worked which as of 2016 amounted to billions of shillings. That is the revenue related to the “induced” phone calls after people receive Please Call Me messages as well as the advertising that is included in these messages.

But former Vodacom CEO Alan Knott-Craig has in the past claimed that he personally invented the Please Call Me and even included it in his autobiography.

The telecommunications giant is in fact yet to settle the payment as ordered by court. According to its financial report for half year to September, the settlement is yet to be reached.

”Negotiations with Mr Makate in accordance with the court order to determine a reasonable compensation for a business idea that led to a product known as ‘Please Call Me ‘ are on going.”

Mr Makate who was previously being represented by Sterling Rand, a Sandton-based “debt investment” company that funds court cases now negotiates on his own behalf.

READ: Safaricom To Launch ‘Masoko’ Across East Africa

”It’s been a long battle that has taken its toll on me and my family. I’m a soldier and I will never give up,” he told SowetanLive.

“I don’t have a lawyer. I am alone and I’m soldiering on. I have not appointed anyone to negotiate on my behalf.”

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