During an interview on Cliff Central yesterday, the head honcho of the cellphone network company said women had a high tolerance for dealing with workplace issues but that they also had a "bitch switch" that got flipped when they were unhappy.
"If I can use the term on your radio station, you know women do have a bitch switch, and boy if you see two women fighting it is worse than two men," he said.
He also said beautiful women encouraged men to dress better and shave - which changed the atmosphere in the workplace.
The comment created a furore among some Twitter users, who found his stance to be sexist.
@AnnieBrooke said "Dear Cell C CEO Should I put 'good-looking' under 'Experience' or under 'Skills' on my CV? Do I need references? Ta, Female in the workplace."
Dos Santos said his words were taken out of context.
"As a CEO with a strong track record in the empowerment of female employees in South Africa and in many other African countries that I have worked in, I am saddened that my stance has been taken out of context.
"The comment I made, when asked about women empowerment, was part of a broader interview about leadership on Cliff Central.
"I regret my choice of words, which I realise were offensive."
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