Black Coffee Wins R7 Million Court Battle With Maserati South Africa

The Trade-In Deal Gone Wrong

In 2022, Nkosinathi Maphumulo purchased a Maserati MC20 Coupé for approximately R7 million. Two years later, he agreed to trade up to a customized MC20 Cielo—the convertible version—valued at around R9 million. The dealership credited his original car as a R7 million trade-in, with the remaining R2 million due on delivery. The build reportedly included 18 custom specifications.

The Dispute and Ruling

According to Maphumulo, the car was supposed to arrive by July 2025 but never did. Maserati South Africa denied any such deadline existed, arguing that a build with that level of customization needs at least nine months. The dispute went to court earlier this year, and Acting Judge Sanet van Aswegen has now granted summary judgment in the DJ's favor. Per reporting from South Africa's Sunday Times, the ruling ordered Maserati South Africa to pay the full R7 million, plus 10.5% annual interest running from August 2025, plus legal costs. The ruling did not include detailed reasoning.

Industry Context

The Grammy-winning South African producer has spent the last decade building a career from Durban's underground to global headliner status, with a long-running Ibiza residency and festival bookings worldwide. The case adds to a recent wave of artist legal disputes, including Ellie Goulding's suit against her former managers. No word yet on what Black Coffee is driving instead.