The taxonomy and diversity of Fainia Zumpt, 1958, an exclusive Afrotropical genus, had not been reviewed recently. The genus included six nominal species, but the status of several of them was debated. Identification of most Fainia species depends on characters of the male terminalia; females are poorly known and, in several cases, are not adequately diagnosed. We conducted a taxonomic revision of the genus and generated identification tools. Based on the study of type material and specimens available in entomological collections in Africa and Europe, we recognise here three of the six species as valid (F. albitarsis (Macquart, 1846), F. elongata (Bezzi, 1908) and F. inexpectata Zumpt, 1973). We also provide an identification key to both sexes, redescriptions of the species, updated distribution records and high resolution photographs of males’ and females’ habitus and male terminalia. The description of Fainia kagerana Lehrer, 2007a nom. nud. is an invalid nomenclatural act in terms of ICZN Article 13.1.1. Based on examinations of their holotypes, F. sambura Lehrer, 2008 syn. nov. is proposed as a junior synonym of F. albitarsis; F. kirinyaga Lehrer, 2007b syn. nov. is proposed as a junior synonym of F. inexpectata; and Fainia giriama Lehrer, 2007b is moved from the genus Fainia to the genus Rhinia Robineau-Desvoidy, as Rhinia giriama (Lehrer, 2007b) comb. nov.. We propose two apomorphies that support the status of the subfamily Rhiniinae.