Black Coffee wins R7 million Maserati court battle after luxury car upgrade goes wrong
· Citizen
South African DJ Black Coffee has secured a major court victory against car dealer Maserati South Africa. This follows a multimillion-rand dispute over a customised luxury car that ended up in the Johannesburg High Court.
The Grammy Award-winning DJ, whose real name is Nkosinathi Innocent Maphumulo, bought a Maserati MC20 Coupe in 2022 for about R7 million.
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From dream upgrade to courtroom battle
Two years later, he decided to take the luxury experience a step further by upgrading to a customised Maserati MC20 Cielo.
The vehicle was valued at around R9 million, with his existing car forming the bulk of the payment.
The dealership offered R7 million for his MC20 as a trade-in. As a result, this left Black Coffee with approximately R2 million to settle when the new vehicle was delivered.
The problem was the delivery date.
The dispute emerged when the anticipated delivery of the new Maserati failed to materialise. Black Coffee maintained that the customised MC20 Cielo was expected by July 2025.
However, in June that year, he was informed that production would only begin in August. No firm delivery date was provided.
He subsequently sought to cancel the agreement and recover the R7 million value attached to his trade-in. Maserati disputed his version of events, arguing that no binding July 2025 delivery deadline had been agreed.
The luxury manufacturer also maintained that customised vehicles could take at least nine months to produce. In addition, it argued that Black Coffee had continued selecting bespoke features, including colours, interior finishes and brake callipers. These needed confirmation before production could proceed.
Court sides with Black Coffee
The Johannesburg High Court ultimately ruled in favour of Black Coffee’s company, Soulistic Music.
The court ordered Maserati to pay R7 million, plus interest at 10.5% annually from 22 August 2025 until the amount is paid in full. The order also included legal costs.
While the amount is substantial, the judgment should not be interpreted as a finding that Maserati intentionally deceived Black Coffee. The court order did not provide detailed reasons explaining the basis of the ruling.
A R9 million car that never arrived
The case offers an unusual glimpse into the complications surrounding bespoke luxury vehicles. Personalised specifications, production schedules and delivery expectations can significantly affect a multimillion-rand purchase.
For Black Coffee, however, the outcome means the R7 million tied up in the disputed trade-in must now be returned with interest.