Grammy-winning DJ Black Coffee, whose real name is Nkosinathi Maphumulo, is suing Maserati South Africa in the Gauteng High Court over a dispute concerning a customised R9-million MC20 Cielo luxury car. The lawsuit was filed through his company, Soulistic Music, with Maphumulo requesting the court to cancel the purchase deal and refund his R7-million trade-in payment.

Maphumulo had placed an order for a Maserati MC20 Cielo, an upgrade from an MC20 Coupe he had purchased from the same dealership in 2022 for R7-million. The dealership offered him R7-million as a trade-in for his older vehicle, with the remaining R2-million for the R9-million Cielo to be paid upon delivery. He also requested several custom features for his new car, including a Sonus faber sound system with 12 speakers, a unique Maserati Blu Infinito colour, glossy black diamond-cut wheels, and a leather and Alcantara interior.

Black Coffee claims that the dealership verbally and partly in writing agreed to a July 2025 delivery deadline. However, he states that on June 3, he was informed the car would only enter production in August, with no confirmed delivery date, which he considers a breach of their agreement. The following day, the dealership reportedly emailed him to confirm they had secured a special production slot, acknowledging his globally recognised status.

Maserati South Africa has denied any wrongdoing, stating that no July 2025 delivery deadline was ever agreed upon. The company attributes delays to Black Coffee's additional feature requests, which were not part of the original quote and required head office approval before production could commence. Maserati further asserts that fully customised vehicles typically take at least nine months to produce after specifications are confirmed. The company also indicated that if the purchase agreement falls through, the R7-million trade-in would no longer be applicable.