The one-cap Springboks loose forward has not played since the United Rugby Championship semi-final victory over the Sharks last June.
In that match, he suffered a devastating knee injury that denied him the opportunity to add to his single Test cap, after debuting against Wales in November 2024, as he missed the entire 2025 international season.
Originally, his return date was set for December last year but as we head into March, he still hasn't been able to recover enough to mark his comeback.
Speaking ahead of the Bulls' clash with the Sharks in the URC, Ackermann provided the latest on the highly-rated back-rower and set a potential return date, having previously been 'nervous' to do so.
Hanekom is set to travel to Cape Town next week to attend the Springboks alignment camp, but is set to miss at least one more game thereafter, according to the Bulls head coach.
"I was nervous to put a timeline to it, but I think we will probably work towards Cardiff or Munster to see Cameron, somewhere around that period,” Ackermann explained.
"That's the earliest I think. His rehab has obviously been up and down. The last couple of weeks have really gone well. Now it's just to build up his endurance, build up his contact and the rugby side of things. That's the part we don't want to rush now, so close to the finish line.
"Next week is not ideal, it's a rugby week that we lose with the guys going to the alignment camp, and they are not in our hands. The week after that is probably the week that we must progress the build-up to a rupy contact.
"That's why I say if we want to be realistic, probably around Cardiff.”
The Bulls face Cardiff and Munster at Loftus Versfeld on back-to-back weekends before heading north in April with clashes against Glasgow Warriors, Dragons and Scarlets.
Despite not playing a single game for the Bulls so far this season, Hanekom has still been included in the Boks alignment camp and is expected to quickly become a regular in Rassie Erasmus' squad going forward.
His return would be a timely one for the Pretoria-based outfit ahead of a congested run into the end of the season while it will also allow him time to get back to his best with the Springboks' international season fast approaching.
The 23-year-old reflected on the injury, which was described as a freak accident in an interview with Kick-Off magazine.
"I saw that Vincent Tshituka was tackled, and I saw an opportunity to steal the ball and give my side an advantage,” he said.
"Siya [Kolisi] came in and cleaned me out. My left heel got stuck in the ground, and the tension was too much. Normally, if I get hit like that in a game, then I'm able to fall backwards with the ball and place it on our side, but it didn't happen then.
"My friend Jeff [JF van Heerden] told me it sounded like a gunshot. I couldn't hear it because I was too busy screaming from the pain.”
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