Hanekom was injured in the Bulls' semi-final victory over the Sharks, prompting coach Jake White to draft Marco van Staden into blindside flank and move Marcell Coetzee to number eight.
Nizaam Carr has come in to replace Van Staden on the bench for Saturday's clash at Croke Park in Dublin.
It is the Bulls' third final in the last four season, having lost to the Stormers in 2021/22 and to Glasgow in Pretoria last time out.
Bulls coach Jake White says he hopes his side have taken lessons from those losses as they prepare to take on the eight-time champions Leinster in their own back yard this weekend.
"We are aware that we've played three finals, but we're also aware that we've surpassed expectations, and hopefully, in this game, we get to show what we learnt from the other finals," White said.
"We are going to have to put the opposition under pressure. Leinster is a quality, well-coached team that is revered by many in this competition. My message to my players for the last four months was to try and match Leinster's consistency, and we have, and now we're in the final."
Vodacom Bulls: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 David Kriel, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Sebastian de Klerk, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Embrose Papier, 1 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 3 Wilco Louw, 4 Cobus Wiese, 5 JF van Heerden, 6 Marco van Staden, 7 Ruan Nortje (c), 8 Marcell Coetzee.
Replacements: 16 Akker van der Merwe, 17 Alulutho Tshakweni, 18 Mornay Smith, 19 Jannes Kirsten, 20 Nizaam Carr, 21 Zak Burger, 22 Keagan Johannes, 23 Devon Williams.