Described by W. T. Stead as "The Uncrowned King of West Africa", Jones was a pre-eminent figure in the colonial shipping trade who amassed considerable business through his many exploits.

[3] At the age of twelve, Jones was apprenticed to the managers of the African Steamship Company at Liverpool on the recommendation of the ship's master, making several voyages to the west coast of Africa.

Not finding sufficient scope in this post, he borrowed money to purchase two or three small sailing vessels, and started in the shipping business on his own account.

The venture succeeded, and he made additions to his fleet, but after a few years' successful trading, realizing that sailing ships were about to be superseded by steamers, he sold his vessels.

In the same year, Jones received a request from King Leopold II of Belgium to dampen British criticism of human rights abuses in the Congo.

"[7] Growing success made it necessary to enter other fields, which meant establishing the Bank of British West Africa and the purchase of cartage and chandler's companies and many other subsidiaries, all of which grew into an empire that included over 100 ships of the Elder Dempster Lines.

In addition to his coastal and river services, Jones ran hotels, cold storage, victualling, chandlery, cartage, oil mills, plantations, collieries and other mines.

In response to an appeal by Joseph Chamberlain, Jones proposed to contribute £350 per annum for three years to the study of tropical medicine at the Annual Dinner of the students of the Royal Southern Hospital on 12 November 1898.

[4] In the early 1900s, Jones had a monopoly on the Congo-Antwerp mail traffic as well as consular duties representing King Leopold II's Congo State in Liverpool.

In 1900, in order to supply his ships with bunker fuel and support his coaling stations in the Canary Islands and Sierra Leone, he formed Elder's Navigation Collieries Ltd. and bought the Oakwood and Garth Merthyr colleries near Maesteg in the Llynfi Valley, South Wales.

[9] Jones took the leading part in opening up a new line of communication with the West Indies, and in stimulating the Jamaica fruit trade and tourist traffic.

[15] In 1906, King Alfonso XIII of Spain conferred on him the Order of Isabella the Catholic in recognition of "the great services rendered by Sir Alfred in promoting agriculture in and generally developing the trade and commerce of the Canary Islands."

[19] By the time of his death, Jones controlled a fleet of 101 ships (totalling over 300,000 gross tonnage), and was senior partner in at least twenty companies and chairman of five.

[8] Jones received criticism for his "special relationship" with King Leopold II of Belgium, being regarded as consul for the Congo Free State.