Black Coffee Seeks 60-Day Jail Term for Nota Baloyi in Defamation Dispute
Grammy-winning producer Black Coffee has filed a contempt of court application against music executive Nota Baloyi, seeking a 60-day prison sentence for allegedly violating a court order related to defamatory social media posts.
The legal battle stems from a December 2025 High Court ruling that ordered Baloyi to remove posts accusing Black Coffee of criminal conduct and association with criminals, and to issue a formal apology.
Nota has since filed an appeal, arguing the court misapplied defamation law and infringed on his freedom of expression rights.
“I’m appealing because I never said Black Coffee is guilty of criminal activity, and I can’t apologise for something I did not do,” Nota stated following the judgment.
The contempt application carries particular weight given Nota’s legal history. In November 2024, he was arrested at the Randburg Magistrate’s Court while appearing on a separate sexual assault case and subsequently served two weeks of a 60-day sentence for contempt of court in a similar matter involving rapper K.O .
In that case, Nota had ignored a court order to refrain from posting about K.O.
Nota known for his confrontational social media presence, has a growing list of legal conflicts with industry figures. In 2022, he was ordered to pay R200,000 in damages to DJ Shimza for defamation.
More recently, in April 2025, he issued an unconditional public apology to the South African Human Rights Commission for racially offensive remarks made during podcast appearances .
The current dispute began when Black Coffee filed an urgent application demanding the removal of what he termed “false and damaging statements,” including allegations of dubious financial practices.
Nota responded with a counterclaim, accusing the DJ of using his wealth and influence to intimidate critics and demanding R25,000 compensation for alleged distress caused to his mother.
“The case is not about defamation but an attempt to muzzle public discourse on issues that affect society,” Nota argued in his court papers .
The contempt application remains pending before the High Court, with both par