The bonus-point win lifted the hosts to sixth in the standings with one round left. The top six contest the playoffs.
The Sharks had not played a competitive match since June 2, when Super Rugby went in to a three-week break during the international season, but showed no sign of rustiness and ran the ball whenever they could to chalk up four tries in front of a 29,515 crowd.
“"I'm proud of the way we played," said captain Keegan Daniel. "“We knew we had to stop their lineout drives and we did well to kill their ball at source."
The Sharks took the lead in the 12th minute when burly hooker Bismarck du Plessis forced his way over for a converted try after a bulldozing run.
The Pretoria-based Bulls hit back with a penalty from flyhalf Morne Steyn before Sharks centre Frans Steyn restored the home team's seven-point buffer with a massive 54-metre penalty.
The Sharks grabbed their second try in the 26th minute when wing JP Pietersen darted over in the right-hand corner for a converted score.
Flyhalf Frederic Michalak then kicked a penalty to hand the home team a commanding 20-3 lead at halftime.
The second period began as the first had started for the Sharks and after four minutes forward Daniel spun his way out of a tackle to crash over in the left-hand corner.
The Bulls finally woke from their lethargy and clawed a converted try back when fullback Zane Kirchner rounded off a fine move to narrow the gap to 25-10 after 52 minutes.
The Sharks had the final say, grabbing the bonus-point try with two minutes left through fullback Louis Ludik.
"“We just couldn't get going," Bulls skipper Pierre Spies said. "“They put our set-piece under pressure and we just couldn't get out of our own half."
