Bernice Houy
Accountant | Tech Entrepreneur | Founder of Fintura
Bernice Houy is a South African accountant and technology entrepreneur with over 12 years of professional experience at the intersection of finance and innovation. As a practitioner turned founder, Bernice brings a rare and powerful combination to the tech space: deep, technical accounting expertise earned from years of hands-on practice, and the entrepreneurial drive to build the modern tools the industry needs.
She is the Founder and CEO of Fintura, an innovative online platform purpose-built to simplify, modernize, and streamline the daily workflows of accountants, particularly within the South African market.
The Journey
Bernice’s career is defined by a lived understanding of the challenges facing modern professionals. In 2018, she founded Xena Accounting, running the business as CEO for seven years. Under her leadership, Xena Accounting became a Top Women-certified firm recognized for its commitment to gender equality and women's empowerment. Through this hands-on experience helping businesses, individuals, and organizations navigate complex financial management and South African taxation, she gained an intimate understanding of the exact operational pain points that legacy tools fail to solve.
Driven to bridge these gaps, Bernice transitioned from running a practice to building fintech solutions from the ground up. Her educational foundation includes a Bachelor of Commerce in Financial Accounting from the University of South Africa (2017) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting from the Milpark School of Financial Services (2023).
Recognition & Impact
Bernice's work as a trailblazer in the African startup ecosystem has achieved significant international validation. In 2025, Fintura was named the South African Champion at the Startup World Cup, earning Bernice a spot at the Grand Finale in Silicon Valley to compete against regional champions from over 90 countries.
Beyond technology, Bernice is a vocal advocate and mentor. She serves as a mentor for the Founder Institute, a global startup accelerator, where she helps cultivate the next generation of aspiring founders. She is deeply passionate about driving gender equality in finance, candidly addressing industry biases, and creating robust mentorship networks for women in traditionally male-dominated spaces.
"The accounting field is always evolving due to new technologies and regulatory changes: Stay curious, stay agile, keep up with industry trends, continuously learn, and seek mentorship opportunities." > — Bernice Houy
Core Expertise & Speaking Topics
As an active builder in the ecosystem, Bernice regularly shares her earned insights on global and local platforms, speaking on:
- Accounting Technology & Innovation: Digital adoption and the future of accounting workflows.
- Fintech & SME Finance in Africa: Navigating financial sustainability, taxation, and capacity-building across the continent.
- Women in Finance & Entrepreneurship: Leading with integrity, overcoming gender bias, and building Top Women-certified enterprises.
Startup Growth & Fundraising: Practical, hard-won lessons from moving a South African tech startup onto the global stage.
Events that was hosted by Bernice Houy
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Resources On-Demand presented by Bernice Houy
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