• South African accountant Bernice Houy founded Fintura in 2023 to centralize and automate accounting firm operations.
• The platform integrates task management, compliance tracking, client data and an AI assistant to cut administrative workload.
• Houy previously led Xena Accounting and now mentors startups while expanding Fintura’s footprint.

Bernice Houy is a seasoned South African accountant and a technology entrepreneur. She founded and now leads Fintura, an online platform designed to simplify the daily work of accountants, particularly those operating in South Africa.

Founded in 2023, Fintura helps accounting firms reduce the heavy administrative burden that often diverts professionals from their core advisory role. Instead of forcing firms to juggle multiple tools to manage daily tasks, deadlines, compliance requirements and client communication, the platform consolidates all functions into a single digital workspace.

Fintura offers a suite of features tailored to the operational needs of accounting professionals. The platform automates repetitive tasks such as deadline tracking and key data collection. It also centralizes client information, improves monitoring of legal and administrative obligations and brings documents, reminders and internal communications together within one application.

In addition, the platform integrates an intelligent virtual assistant named Hank. The assistant answers questions, sends deadline reminders, retrieves documents and suggests templates. Through these functions, Hank helps accountants save time and reduce the risk of oversight.

Before launching Fintura, Houy founded Xena Accounting in 2018. She led the accounting, business and tax advisory firm as chief executive until 2025. She now serves as a mentor at the Founder Institute, a global startup accelerator.

Houy holds a bachelor’s degree in financial accounting obtained in 2017 from the University of South Africa. She completed her academic training in 2023 with a postgraduate diploma in accounting from the Milpark School of Financial Services, a South African business school.

Houy began her professional career in 2014 as an account manager at Fenns Incorporated, an accounting firm. From 2020 to 2024, she served on the finance committee of Justice Desk Africa, a human rights organization. At the same time, she worked as chief financial officer at Solutions For Africa, an organization that develops capacity-building solutions for businesses, individuals and institutions across Africa and beyond.

This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba

Adapted in English by Ange J.A de BERRY QUENUM