Dr Bonakele Cele was born in Durban and is the eldest of three siblings. She matriculated at Vukuzakhe High School in 1994 and obtained her MBChB at Natal Medical School in 2000. She worked in various hospitals in the rural areas of Kwa-Zulu Natal, especially in the Paediatric, HIV and the Forensic Pathology Departments and acted as Medical and Hospital Manager. Dr Cele have a diploma in HIV management, Project Management and a three-year diploma in Theology. In 2018 she was appointed as a Medical Officer in the Oncology Department at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital and later moved to Bloemfontein Oncology Department as a registrar.

Dr Cele joined the ABJ Inc. group on 1 July 2022 and is based at the Wilgers Oncology Centre.