Music executive and commentator Nhlamulo Nota Baloyi has publicly apologised to Grammy-winning DJ Black Coffee after a lengthy legal battle over defamatory statements made about the musician.
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Nota issued his apology on Monday, 10 August 2026, retracting the allegations and acknowledging that the claims were false and defamatory.
Nota Baloyi apologises to Black Coffee
The apology comes after months of tension between Nota and Black Coffee, whose real name is Nkosinathi Maphumulo.
The dispute dates back to comments Nota made during a September 2025 episode of the SA Hub podcast, as well as subsequent social media posts in which he made allegations concerning Black Coffee’s financial dealings and other conduct.
Black Coffee approached the Johannesburg High Court over the statements. In December 2025, the court ordered Nota to remove the posts and issue a public apology, finding the statements unlawful, reported Sunday Times.
@RealBlackCoffee Between the period of September 2025 to November 2025, I posted certain publications
on my X account. In the Posts, I accused and insinuated that Mr.
Nkosinathi Innocent Maphumulo, also known as Black Coffee, was guilty of bribery,
corruption, assault & general…— MORAL Authority (@lavidaNOTA) August 10, 2026
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Court battle escalates
Despite the court order, Nota initially resisted issuing the apology and maintained that he would not retract statements he believed to be true. He also challenged Black Coffee’s subsequent contempt application, arguing that the proceedings were premature while an appeal was ongoing.
The legal battle intensified in August 2026 when the Johannesburg High Court ordered Nota to file his arguments in the contempt proceedings. Black Coffee was seeking to have Nota jailed for 60 days over the alleged failure to comply with the earlier order.
Nota retracts allegations
Nota has now changed course, publicly retracting the allegations and issuing an “unreserved” apology to Black Coffee.
The development marks a significant turn in the highly publicised dispute, which has played out both in court and across social media.
The apology follows months of legal proceedings and comes as Black Coffee’s contempt application had moved closer to another High Court showdown.
For Black Coffee, the apology fulfils a key requirement of the original court order. For Nota, it brings a new chapter to a legal battle that had threatened further consequences if the court found him in contempt.
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