“I resigned; I wasn’t sacked”: Milton Tutu clears the air on Selar exit and Mainstack pivot

Following a weekend of intense speculation and industry chatter ignited by the events of the Moment 2026 conference, Milton Tutu has finally addressed the controversy surrounding his high-profile transition. Stepping into the light as the newly appointed Chief Marketing Officer of Mainstack, Tutu’s first order of business was to decisively shut down the prevailing rumour: he was not fired from his previous role at Selar.

In a public statement released today, Tutu offered an unvarnished look at his career transition. It’s a move that has undoubtedly shaken up the marketing chessboard within Africa’s creator economy, making his need to set the record straight completely understandable.

Tutu tackled the biggest elephant in the room. He categorically denied being fired from the e-commerce platform where he spent four highly visible years shaping the brand.

“I’ve heard claims that I was fired from Selar,” Tutu noted in his address. “While multiple factors influenced my exit, the final and only official documentation that marked my exit from the company is my resignation letter, which was acknowledged by the leadership team.”

In the startup world, the line between jumping and being pushed is often blurred by PR spin. But by pointing directly to official corporate documentation, Tutu is planting his flag in hard facts rather than the subjective gossip that routinely fuels executive exits.

That said, he didn’t pretend the departure was entirely smooth sailing. He openly acknowledged that the tail end of his tenure brought “difficult moments and disagreements”. Perhaps most tellingly, he touched on the distinct personal toll of the split, hinting at the painful deterioration of working relationships that initially started out as genuine friendships.

Yet, anyone hoping for a messy public mudslinging match will be deeply disappointed; Tutu made it clear he has absolutely no interest in a public back-and-forth. Life, as he put it, is simply too short.

The whole truth about Milton Tutu’s Selar exit

One of the most intriguing takeaways from his statement was the revelation about how he handled the transition internally before the news broke. Before officially taking the reins at Mainstack, Tutu paid a personal visit to Douglas, Selar’s CEO, to inform him of his next move.

“It wasn’t about asking for permission or blessings or working around a ‘non-compete’. There wasn’t one. It was simply the respectful thing to do,” he explained.

This is a fascinating detail for industry watchers. In a sector notoriously bogged down by restrictive covenants and talent-poaching paranoia, the total absence of a non-compete clause is rare.

Tutu’s decision to personally deliver the news is a masterclass in ecosystem diplomacy, maintaining a level of professional respect even as he walks directly into the camp of a fierce market rival.

Tech executives rarely admit to getting it wrong. The standard playbook is to project flawless, visionary leadership at all times. Tutu threw that playbook out the window today, leaning into a rare moment of public vulnerability.

“Leadership is not perfect,” he admitted. “Looking back, I know there are moments I could have handled better as a leader and teammate… You can call me a bad boss or a bad leader, but I am still only human, the same as you, and with that comes the opportunity for learning and growth.”

It’s a clever, disarming strategy. By pre-emptively owning his missteps and stripping away the executive armour, he neuters much of the lingering criticism from his Selar days and sets a baseline for his new role.

Eyes on Mainstack’s V4

With the air cleared, Tutu abruptly pivoted the narrative to what actually matters: the work ahead. Backed by Mainstack founders Ayo and Olamide, he reiterated a long-standing passion for the creator economy, a journey he claims started by selling digital products from his university dorm room at just 16.

He teased what’s coming down the pipeline for Mainstack, specifically shouting out the impending V4 release. The update is pitched as a massive leap forward, designed to give creators sharper tools and deeply community-driven experiences.

For Tutu, the weekend’s noise is already in the rear-view mirror. He views the African creator economy as being in its absolute infancy, a sector that requires building rather than bickering.

“There is far more to build than there is to argue about,” he urged the community. “Competition will exist, but we should never lose sight of the bigger mission, which is empowering creators across the continent and beyond.”

As the dust finally settles on the Moment 2026 drama, the conversation has officially shifted. Milton Tutu has wiped the slate clean and laid out his stall. Now, the entire ecosystem will be watching closely to see if Mainstack’s upcoming product rollouts can match the sheer volume of its new CMO’s arrival.

The post “I resigned; I wasn’t sacked”: Milton Tutu clears the air on Selar exit and Mainstack pivot first appeared on Technext.