Black Coffee turns up the heat on Maserati as sheriff ordered to seize assets over R7.7m debt

The legal battle between Nkosinathi Innocent Maphumulo, better known as Grammy-winning musician Black Coffee, and Maserati SA has escalated, with a sheriff now instructed to attach and sell the luxury carmaker’s movable assets to recover more than R7.7m owed to his company.

The development is the latest chapter in a dispute that began over a luxury vehicle deal and has now moved into the enforcement stage, with Maserati facing the prospect of having its movable property sold by public auction to satisfy a high court judgment.

A writ of execution issued on August 17 directs the sheriff to attach and take into execution the movable goods of Casa Vehicle Holdings, which trades as Maserati SA, and have them realised by public auction to recover R7.735m.

The amount comprises the R7m judgment debt awarded to Black Coffee’s company, Soulistic Music, by the Johannesburg high court as well as R735,000 in interest calculated at 10.5% a year from August 22 2025.

The writ sets out the amount being pursued and the basis on which the sheriff is being instructed to execute against Maserati SA.

The latest development means the judgment is no longer simply a court order requiring Maserati to pay. The sheriff has now been authorised to take steps against the company’s movable property if necessary to recover the outstanding amount.

The document is explicit about what the sheriff has been instructed to do — “attach and take into execution the movable goods of the defendant.” Those goods are to be sold to recover the money owed to Soulistic Music.

Importantly, the writ does not state that Maserati’s assets have already been seized or sold. Instead, it authorises the sheriff to begin the execution process against the company’s movable property.

The execution process stems from a dispute involving Maphumulo’s company and Maserati over the purchase of two vehicles.

Maphumulo had previously told the court that the vehicles were bought in November 2024 for a combined amount of about R16m.

Maserati, accordingly, breached the agreement in that it failed to timeously deliver vehicle two by the delivery date. As a result of the breach I am entitled to restitution in the amount of R7m, being the trade in amount which Maserati is obliged to repay.

While one vehicle was delivered, the second became the subject of the legal dispute after it was allegedly not delivered within the agreed timeframe.

The second vehicle was also meant to be extensively customised, with Maphumulo requesting changes to the exterior, interior and various trimmings, including the seat belts and brake calipers.

Maphumulo’s case was that Maserati had promised to deliver the vehicle in June 2025 but failed to do so.