africakonnectinfo-oss/Africa-Konnect-1

# Africa Konnect A comprehensive platform connecting African businesses with vetted experts for project collaboration, featuring real-time communication, contract management, and secure escrow payments. ## 🌍 Overview Africa Konnect bridges the gap between businesses across Africa and skilled professionals, providing a trusted platform for project collaboration. The platform includes expert vetting, project management, real-time collaboration tools, and secure payment processing. ## ✨ Features - **Expert Vetting System**: Multi-stage verification process for expert profiles - **Project Hub**: Complete project lifecycle management from creation to completion - **Real-time Collaboration**: Socket.IO-powered messaging and live updates - **Contract Management**: Digital contract creation, signing, and tracking - **Escrow Payments**: Secure milestone-based payment system - **Expert Directory**: Searchable database of verified professionals - **Role-based Access**: Separate dashboards for clients and experts - **File Management**: Upload, version control, and sharing of project files - **Notifications**: Real-time alerts for project updates and messages ## 🛠️ Tech Stack ### Frontend - **React 19** - UI framework - **Vite** - Build tool and dev server - **React Router** - Client-side routing - **Tailwind CSS** - Utility-first styling - **Framer Motion** - Animations - **Socket.IO Client** - Real-time communication - **Lucide React** - Icon library ### Backend - **Node.js** - Runtime environment - **Express** - Web framework - **PostgreSQL** - Database (via Supabase) - **Socket.IO** - WebSocket server - **JWT** - Authentication - **bcryptjs** - Password hashing - **Helmet** - Security headers - **Express Rate Limit** - API protection ## 📋 Prerequisites - **Node.js** 18+ and npm - **PostgreSQL** database (Supabase recommended) - **Git** for version control ## 🚀 Local Development Setup ### 1. Clone the Repository ```bash git clone github.com …