The Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI) was delighted to host Dr Andrey Yurkov during his visit from 19-25 September, a visit co-ordinated and led by Prof. Bernard Slippers (FABI Director), Prof. Cobus Visagie and Dr Neriman Yilmaz. Andrey, a researcher at the Leibniz Institute DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, in Braunschweig, Germany, is internationally known for his work on yeast biology and taxonomy. During his visit, he delivered a special seminar on 20 September entitled “Wild yeasts: Diverse, versatile, and yet unexplored”. In this  presentation, he presented  a comprehensive overview of the importance of yeasts, the challenges regarding  their taxonomy and opportunities linked to their biotechnological applications.  His visit also included numerous meetings to discuss ongoing projects and potential collaborations, in particular with the CMW-IA culture collection, which has been officially registered as a national biobank and member of the World Federation of Culture Collections since 2023. Andrey was given a tour of the institute by Prof. Mike Wingfield and explored the activities of the FABI  biocontrol facility, where he particularly enjoyed meeting young researchers and learning an about their work. His visit also coincided with South Africa's Heritage Day on 24 September. To mark the occasion, Dr Neriman Yilmaz and Prof. Cobus Visagie took Andrey on an excursion to the Cradle of Humankind and the Pilanesberg National Park where he had the opportunity to learn of South Africa's heritage, culture and biodiversity.