Maela doubled his goal tally for the season when he headed home in the 29th minute to level matters shortly after Justin Shonga missed a penalty.
But three minutes later it was all Pirates as Vincent Pule grabbed what proved to be the winner, tapping an Augustine Mulenga cross into an empty net.
The 26-year-old managed to get his first goal in The Buccaneers' colours in the 2-2 draw with Cape Town City earlier this season but will now cherish his second even more.
“We practise the movements when attacking a corner and there are areas that we know Shonga and Pule will hit when they deliver,” Maela told his club’s website.
“I moved into one of the channels and managed to get my head onto the ball. I don’t score a lot of headers because of the way I play.
“Normally the chances I get are with my feet, so naturally I’m very happy that I was able to contribute with my header.”
The Bafana Bafana left-back is not only buoyed by his goal on such a big occasion but also by the overall result, which he hopes will create the momentum they need to maintain their standing amongst the front-runners on the table.
“There is so much pressure in Derby games because of the expectation of the fans, so to score in such a big game is very encouraging,” he added.
“We now need to build on this result and use that as the momentum we need to keep winning and doing well for the fans.”
Maela’s older brother and former Kaizer Chiefs defender Tsepo Masilela also congratulated him on his maiden Derby goal.