She worked in a variety of positions, being the political editor for national daily newspaper Business Day and launching Forbes Women Africa.

Born in Cape Town and educated at Salt River High School,[1] Brown was the daughter of Achmat Semaar, a community leader in Mitchell's Plain and an ANC activist.

[2] In October 2006 an internal commission at the SABC agreed with veteran journalist John Perlman that the broadcasting corporation had an arbitrary blacklist of political commentators.

[5] In 2019 she won a court case against the Economic Freedom Fighters, suing after she received threatening messages when Julius Malema published her cellphone number on social media.

[7] The South African government paid tribute to her saying that "her contribution to the journalistic profession and fearlessness in carrying out her job will sorely be missed.