Abrahams was born in Piketberg in the Cape where his father worked in construction and his mother was a teacher.
[2] Prior to his appointment in 2015 when Mxolisi Nxasana stepped down as NDPP, Abrahams had been a senior state advocate in the Priority Crimes Litigation Unit.
[4] Abrahams had joined the NPA as an administrative clerk in a provincial office while completing his legal studies.
[5][6] He holds B Iuris, B Proc and LLB degrees, which he read part-time at the University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg.
[7] Abrahams has been seen as complicit in helping President Jacob Zuma avoid corruption charges, and was given the nickname "Shaun The Sheep" as a result.