[1][2] Anchen Dreyer grew up in the then Transvaal province, attended primary school in the small town of Brits, and matriculated at Voortrekkerhoogte Hoёrskool in 1969.

She completed a five-year term as a Democratic Alliance member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature in Johannesburg, serving initially as the spokesperson for agriculture, conservation, environment and land affairs, and was later elected as caucus whip from 1999 to 2002.

[3] In 2005, she became a Democratic Alliance Member of Parliament, where she served the party as a whip and the spokesperson on Labour.

In May 2019, Annelie Lotriet was elected the new Democratic Alliance Caucus Chairperson, succeeding Dreyer.

She served on WARM (Westene, Auckland Park, Richmond, Melville) Residents' Association Management Committee, from 1989 to 1991.